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The conventional view is that insecurity of land tenure results from the lack of a registered title deed which records the property rights of occupants of land or housing. Across Africa, many governments and international development agencies are promoting large-scale land titling as the solution.

The African Farmers Association of South Africa (AFASA) says the proposal by Rural Development and Land Reform Minister, Gugile Nkwinti, to limit land ownership by large scale farmers has caught them by surprise.

In a press statement, AFASA points out that, “The African Farmers Association of South Africa was caught by surprise as anyone else by the sudden and unexpected announcement of new land ceilings proposed by government.”

A group of youth activists condemned the Namibian government's intention to approve the lease of 10 000 hectares of fertile land to a Chinese company wanting to grow tobacco for export.

Group leader, Job Amupanda, argues that, "It is our submission that to allocate more land for tobacco than is allocated for food production is a deviation from the policy direction taken by the Namibian government through its Agriculture Ministry, which leans towards eradicating limitations to Namibia's capacity to provide food security and adequate levels of nutrition."

Rights organisation, Gender Links, says that, "Cultural practices and customary laws in Southern Africa Development Committee (SADC) limit women's ability to access, own and control means of production such as land and livestock."

The organisation believes that the inability by women to access means of production has had an impact on their economic independence and ability to move out of poverty.

Scores of small scale farmers in Jozini, northern KwaZulu-Natal, are at risk of losing their farms.

According to the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s Ayanda Mhlongo, more than 20 farmers have already lost their farms due to alleged corruption and mismanagement by Mjindi - a government appointed management entity.

Mhlongo says the farmers claim to have lease agreements on the land, adding that other farmers also allege government promised them farming implements, withheld by Mjindi, resulting in dying crops.

Zimbabwe President, Robert Mugabe, has urged the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states to reduce its dependence on foreign aid and to make better use of its natural resources such as minerals and land.

Speaking at the opening of a two-day summit of the 15-member SADC in Zimbabwe, Mugabe warns that the continued over-reliance on the goodwill of the cooperation partners compromises African countries the opportunity to own the SADC.

Communications Minister, Faith Muthambi, says there could be as many as 400 000 valid land claims that can still be lodged by victims of apartheid-era forced removals.

Muthambi says the executive welcome President Jacob Zuma's signing into law of the Restitution of Land Rights Amendment Act.

"While approximately 80 000 land restitution claims were lodged by the 1998 deadline, it is estimated that there are up to five times as many valid cases that can be brought by victims of apartheid-era forced removals," she explains.

Traditional leaders in Zambia call for collective efforts in the fight against corruption and gender-based violence (GBV).

The traditional leaders vow not to tolerate people intending to acquire pieces of land in their chiefdoms through corrupt practices, with chief Siachitema of Kalomo District describing corruption is a stumbling block in fostering national development.